A Gift
by XionTheBlackRose
Summary: "Hey, let me tell you a story. I'm recording this now because I don't think this part of our history will stay in the books. The story I'm about to tell you is heartbreaking, at least I hope it is. I'm sure time has changed, I'm sure people just don't care. This is about how we turned innocent creatures into pets and slaves for our own benefit. This is about my best friend Asriel."
1. Prologue: Chara - Happy Birthday

**Prologue: Chara - Happy Birthday**

I take a deep breath, sitting at my desk. I shove my school books aside and set down my tape recorder. I take another deep breath, listening. I have to make sure my parents aren't home yet. I don't hear anything. I turn back, staring at the golden flower sitting in a pot on the windowsill. It's wilting, his flower is dying. I take another breath as I turn back to the tape recorder. My hands tremble as I take it in my hand. I take yet another breath, and hit the record button.

"Hey, let me tell you a story. Everything I'm about to say is true, it actually happened to me. I'm recording this now because.. I don't think this part of our history will stay in the books. There was a time when we shared the world with these creatures, we called them Monsters, but they didn't really have a name. The story I'm about to tell you is heartbreaking, at least I hope it is. I'm sure time has changed, I'm sure people just don't care."

I chuckle lightly, sniffle, then continue, "But, um.. We're horrible, awful people. We don't deserve to be the race that won. We don't deserve to be the ones left alive. My name is Chara, and this is about the four years I had with a Monster named Asriel. This is about how my parents ripped him from his home, his family, to give him to me for my thirteenth birthday. This is about how we turned innocent creatures into pets and slaves for our own benefit. And.. This is how I failed.. To set him free."

I hesitate to speak, I can feel the tears running down my face, "I-it all started.. The day I turned thirteen.."

 _ **Four years earlier**_

I sigh, sitting at my desk. I rub my eyes, I still have so much more studying to do. I lean back in my chair, stretching my arms over my head. Maybe a little break won't be so bad. It's not like my parents are here right now anyway. The phone rings and I get up and leave my room. I go to the kitchen where phone is kept. I answer it, "Berkley residence."

"Heya, squirt!" a familiar voice laughs.

I smile, "Hi, Frisk."

"Happy birthday!" he says.

"Thank you." I reply.

He sighs, "I'm sorry I can't make it down there for your birthday, but I promise I'll visit soon."

"I'm sure Mom and Dad would love it if you visited." I lean against the counter, "It's been a year since we've last saw you."

"Yeah, sorry about that." he sighs.

I shake my head, even though I know he can't see it, "No way, you got into the best college in the state. We're all so proud of you."

"I kind of hate here," he sighs.

I frown, "What? Why?"

"I don't think the big city's for me. Besides, there's a lot of people here that are dragging Monsters around on leashes. It makes me mad, they don't deserve that." he groans softly, "Sorry, I shouldn't bore you with this stuff, especially not on your birthday."

"Do you see a lot of Monsters there?" I ask.

"Yeah, my ex-roommate has one, it disgusts me. I told him that, too and he had me kicked out. I have a different room now, by myself." he replies.

I raise an eyebrow, "Did you just tell him that or did you fight him over it?"

"I may or may not have broke his nose." he chuckles lightly.

I laugh, "I knew it! Heh, anyway, if you hate it so much over there, you should come back home. I miss you."

"I unfortunately can't just quit. I'm trying to make a career out of this, but don't worry, I will visit very soon." he replies.

"You better. Oh, I think our parents are back, I got to go. I'm supposed to be studying." I quickly hang up and run back to my room. I sit back at the desk and go back to reading the text book. I hear the front door open and then Dad calls to me, "Chara, come here please!"

I get up and go into the living room where they are waiting for me. I immediately look down at the big dog kennel thing they have with them. The thing's on wheels. I look at my parents, "What's that?"

"This is your birthday present, dear." Mom replies.

I frown lightly, leaning over, trying to look into the kennel, "Is it a puppy?"

"Better," Dad grins, "You got you a little Monster!"

I stand up straight, staring at them, "What?"

"It's basically a puppy," Mom waves her hand, pushing the kennel towards me, "Take it to your room. It's your birthday, so you can stop studying for today."

I frown, but silently take the kennel to my room. Once in my room, I close the door and push the kennel up against the wall at the foot of my bed. I Open the cage door and peer inside. It's dark in there, so I can't really see the Monster hiding at the back. I sit in front of the kennel, "Hello."

The Monster doesn't budge. I move and climb into the kennel. I sit there, close enough to see the Monster, but not too close. I don't want to spook him. He's a humanoid dog, or goat, or something of that nature, Monster with white fur. He has long floppy ears that just just below his shoulders, and he isn't wearing any clothes. His eyes, however, are the most human. He has big, bright eyes. The left is green, and the right is blue. His eyes are full of anger, fear, and pain.

I smile softly at him, "My name is Chara. What's your name?"

He just stares at me. I ask him another question, "How old are you? I'm thirteen."

He continues to just stare. I don't blame him, he's probably scared to death. I crawl backwards out of the kennel and I sit back on the floor, "You can come out of there if you want. You can even sleep on my bed, I don't mind."

Still, no response and he just stares at me. I sigh and stand, "Well, I'm not going to lock you in there, so just come out when you're ready."


	2. Chapter One: Asriel - Stolen Away

**Chapter One: Asriel - Stolen Away**

"Smile, Asriel," Mom sits in front of me, smiling, "It's your birthday!" **  
**

I continue to frown, "Who cares what day it is? I have nothing to smile about."

"Well, you're alive, aren't you?" she sighs.

I look away, "This isn't living."

I pretend not to see the hurt expression on her face. I'm not wrong, though, there's nothing our people have to smile about. We're enslaved to greedy, abusive Humans. We're not equal creatures, they treat us like slaves and pets. It's disgusting. I've seen my own father, the great King of our people, be used as a footstool. We're not the ones that started the war, and we don't deserve to be treated like this for losing it. Mom puts her arms around me and I hug her back, closing my eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, my child." she holds me close, "I should be sorry. If only we could have been stronger, then you wouldn't have to live like this."

I stiffen, clinging to her tightly, "Don't say that. This isn't your fault."

We just sit like this in silence in this small room in the back of our "Master's" house. We're always locked in, unless he wants to use one of us. He never lets us all out at once, Dad alone is twice the "Master's" size. He has Dad out right now, actually. Probably cleaning his room or washing his dishes. He makes us wear these special metal collars that keep our magic from leaving our bodies, an invention his ancestors created when our people were first captured when the war ended. Like old sweaters, my family has been passed down his for centuries.

My parents remember what it was like before the war, but I wasn't born until after we were already captured. Our race is going to die out because we're banned from having children by the humans. I'm an exception, because Mom was already pregnant when the battle began. That makes me "unpredictable" and "dangerous" and the "Master" always keeps me locked up because of that. Mom pulls away and smooths out the fur on my head and ears. She smiles softly, "I love you so much, Asriel."

"I love you, too, Mom." I reply, smiling lightly back at her.

The door opens and Dad comes in. The door slams behind him and Dad smiles as he comes over and sits with us, "How are the two of you today?"

"We're doing fine, dear." Mom replies, hugging him, "How are you?"

He hugs her back, sighing softly, "I'm fine, thank you."

He looks the opposite. His fur is matted in various places all over his body and there are small bald patches on his arms with something like soot in his fur around those patches. His eyes are dark and tired, and his left horn is missing the top half. I frown, "What happened to your horn, Dad?"

Mom looks up at him, worry clear in her eyes, "Yes, are you all right?"

Dad sighs, leaning back, "I'm fine, really."

"What happened to your horn?" I ask again. I can see he doesn't want to talk about it, but I want to know what the "Master" did to him. He looks at me, but doesn't respond. The door opens in the next moment and the "Master" is standing there, with two more humans with him. The "Master" is a tall man with short, dark hair and small, dark beady eyes. He wears a black suit with a white shirt underneath. His mouth is always in a thin grimace. I don't think this man's ever smiled in his life. There's a younger man behind him with brown hair and dark eyes, wearing a similar suit. He looks mostly bored and he keeps checking a watch on his wrist. There's a woman beside him and she has long, curly brown hair and green eyes, wearing a light pink sweater and a long tan skirt. She looks at us nervously, her eyes keep flickering between us and the man beside her.

The "Master" looks at me, "You. Come here."

Dad stands, "What's going on?"

Mom stands also and I stay sitting behind them. The "Master" frowns, crossing his arms, "You two step away, the pup is going to be leaving with the Berkleys."

I frown, _Pup? I'm a goat, not a dog._ Dad growls, "He isn't going anywhere with anyone."

I stand slowly, the tension in the room is thick. If Dad keeps talking back, the "Master" is going to hurt him again. The "Master" pulls a small remote from his pocket and he glares at Dad, "Step away. Now."

"You're not taking our son away from us!" Dad replies.

"Move aside!" the "Master" growls, holding the remote out. He hits a button and this zapping sound fills my ears. The next moment, Dad roars and falls to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Mom calls out to him, kneeling beside him. She's glaring at the "Master" and the "Master's" eyes turn to me again, "Come here."

I look down at my parents and then walk over to the "Master." Dad gasps, "Asriel!"

I look back at my parents and I fight the urge to cry, "I love you guys."

The "Master" grabs me and pulls me from the room, slamming the door shut behind me. Just as the door shuts, Mom stands and cries, "Don't take our child!"

The door is locked and then I'm shoved into some kind of animal container with a cage door. I move to the back and hug my knees to my chest as the container is pulled along as the Humans walk. I can hear the squealing of the rolling wheels and the Humans talking about me. The "Master's" voice is the first I hear, "Now, the payment."

"Right, of course." the other man replies. There's some shuffling sounds and then the "Master" speaks again, "Wonderful. I'm sure your little girl will love her gift."

"Thank you so much," the woman replies, "She'll be the only person in the world to have a Monster Child!"

They all laugh and I want to throw up. The container moves again and then I'm overwhelmed by the overlapping voices and sounds. I cover my ears as tears fall down my face. I'm never going to see my parents again. I'm going to be trapped for the rest of my life, all alone, with some Human brat that'll treat me just as badly as the "Master" did. I wish I was never born, then my parents wouldn't feel the pain of me being stolen away from them.


End file.
